Very good points, kmason. No argument from this guy

It is my intent to win a few more awards this year.

The Southern California Conference experienced a solid Season 38 campaign after their record setting Season 37.  In spite of a large influx of young talent, the So Cal Conference led the NCAA D3 in record as a conference, SOS as a conference, and RPI as a conference.  The conference placed 10 teams in the top 91 RPI, and could potentially place all 10 of those teams in the post season ensuring another strong recruiting bonus haul that should help secure the future of the league for seasons to come!

 

Player of the Year:  This seasons player of the year finished 4^th in scoring in the So Cal and 2^nd on his team with 17.1 points per game.  In spite of being only 6’7”, he finished 1^st  in the conference in rebounds by an astounding 1.8 rebounds per game, tied for 1^st in blocked shots, and led the conference  in field goal percentage.  This player has started every game in his 4 year career and to date has racked up nearly 1450 points and 1100 rebounds in addition to triple digit steals and blocks.    From Big Bear City, California and University of Redlands, Sr C Raymond Arter

Runner up:  Craig Hampton Sr. C Pomona Pitzer

Freshman of the Year:  This seasons Freshman of the Year joined his team as a true freshman in the Fall and went on to start every game in his freshman campaign.  While a few freshman are able to crack the starting lineup in their first season, few are able to contribute offensively at the clip of this season’s top freshman.  Chipping in 11.6 points per game and over 5 rebounds per game, both 3^rd on his team, this player was an instant contributor and will be one to watch on his school’s career leader board.   A C from Etna, CA  and Whittier College, Cary White.

Runner Up:   Three tied

Defensive Player of the Year:  For the 2^nd consecutive season, we have a double winner in the Player of the year and Defensive Player of the Year categories.  This seasons DPOTY was the runner-up for this award last season, and tied for the conference lead in blocks and chipped in nearly 1 steal per game this season.  Using his athleticism and defense to limit opposing centers all season long and allowing his teammates to focus on the perimeter, opposing teams shot only 31.5% from beyond the arc.   Already recognized as the So Cal Conference Player of the Year, this seasons Defensive Player of the Year, from Redlands, is Sr. C Raymond Arter

Runner Up:  Michael Leak Sr. PG Texas Tyler

6^th Man of the Year:  Anytime you have a Conference that has been successful on the national stage the way that the So Cal Conference has been, you are sure to have talented players who for whatever reason, do not start the game.  Perhaps there is a more talented player at their position already on the roster, or perhaps they create a huge matchup problem coming off the bench.  Whatever the reason, these players are often the spark plugs that push their team on to victory.  This seasons winner moved to the bench after starting most of his first 3 seasons at his school.  In spite of coming off the bench, this player nearly doubled his career high points per game average while contributing over 2.5 rebounds per game from the SG position.  From Redlands, and hailing from Moreno Valley, CA, Sr. SG Mark Reily.

Runner Up:  Manuel Shoup Sr. SF Texas Tyler

Coach of the Year:  This seasons coach of the year winner led his team to 15-1 record in the always challenging Southern California conference.  Bouncing back from 2 early season losses, his team won 23- of their final 25 games to this point and have claimed the #1 overall.  Looking to step out of the shadow cast over the conference by La Verne’s national championship domination, this coach is hoping that this year is the year a new So Cal program brings the National Championship home. 

From CMHMS, Head Coach aejones

Runner Up:  pinkeye-Redlands

All Conference First Team:

SG:  Phil Trussell, Sr. CMHMS
PG: Donald Borrero Sr. Redlands
SG: Marvin James Jr. Redlands
 C:  Raymond Arter Sr. Redlands
 C:  Craig Hampton Sr.  Pomona-Pitzer

All Conference Second Team:

PG:  Michael Leak Sr. Texas Tyler
PG:  Joseph Cogdell Sr. California Tech   
PG:  Joseph Bowen Jr. Texas Tyler
 C:  George Foret Sr. California Tech
PF:  Matthew Morrell Sr. Occidental

'bout time i won some of these, thanks as always bow

a little surprised that trussell didn't get first or second in POY, and a little surprised that jenkins didn't get any love, but i guess his numbers weren't great towards the start of the year.

jones, Trussell was only 1 point behind Hampton, but Arter was the far and away winner.  As for Jenkins, we had 8 guys get votes for bigs...but 4 of them only got votes from 1 team.  The 4 guys that made it were mentioned on almost every ballot.

Far and away this year had the least drama as far as awards go...most of the races were not very close.  We had a couple guys who weren't able to submit ballots, but honestly even if they had, it wouldn't have mattered because the winners were very clear cut

also jones, i think you're somewhat hurt (as is duke) by the fact that you both play almost exclusively slowdown which obviously limits your potential as far as offensive numbers....redlands was the only team that played almost exclusively uptempo, and they were able to place 3 guys on first team.

obviously when there are no real games to watch, all you can really judge by is offensive numbers, so the teams that score points have a huge advantage, even if another player might have put up better numbers if they were given the chance to play uptempo

Another season draws to a close in the Southern California conference, and once again it's time to recognize the players on who's backs we have built our legacy.  At press time, we once again finished as the top RPI conference, and will have at least 8 teams playing extra games (10 teams have RPI's better than #93). It has been a period of transition, as some of the top conference teams have changed coaches, and others have had 'down' seasons as well, and despite that, the So. Cal continues to be the standard of Knight D3.  WIthout furhter delay, here are your So. Cal awards!

6th man of the year

A 6th man is the spark of the bench, the matchup problem, or the glue.  The coaches votes made this a two man race, between two interior sparks. In the end, being the top interior scorer on a top team proved to be enough to allow the 6'9" Junior from Orlando to take the prize.  James Pernesky adjusted well to his role as 6th man for California, Santa Cruz, shooting 49.6%, grabbing 4.6 boards and adding 6.9 points for the slugs in about 20 minutes a game.  Surely as a senior, James will create matchup nightmares for the So.Cal coaches.

Runnerup- So. Chad Bogner, Redlands

Freshman of the Year

No challenge is greater for a young man than the transition from high school to college.  Throw in the lack of real scholarship in DIII, and the DII like talent of the So. Cal, and you have the ultimate test for an 18 year old.  The freshman of the year knew what he had to do in order to make this transition complete, and while starting, led his team in rebounding.  "Coach simply told me I can't be LeBron day one, and I have to focus on finding my niche.  That was on the boards." said the 6'6" freshman from San Dimas, CA.   Pete Bailey did that and more- leading Pomona in rebounds and blocks in his rookie season.   If he can work on rounding out his game, Bailey may be on this stage in three years for a bigger award.

Runner-up- Roger Mason, Occidental

Defensive Player of the Year

Defense wins championships, or so the old saying goes.  The defensive player of the year may not win any championships this season, but it wasn't due to a lack of trying on his part.  With a post-season bid, this player needs only 4 steals to become his team's all-time leader, and led the conference with 25% more steals than second place.  In a landslide vote, the conference coaches honored Joseph Bowen (Texas-Tyler) of Sour Lake, TX, for creating sour looks on conference guards this season.  1.9 steals per game, coupled with only 51 fouls in 848 minutes, the only thing Bowen didn't do was give an inch on defense.

Runner-up- Sr. John Curry, Whittier

Coach of the Year

Leading the great teams in the tough conferences is what makes the best stand out.  I'm not saying it's a sign, but the coach of the year has led their team to higher levels each season after the honor (Elite 8 the first season of coach voting, final 4 the season after, and national finalist last year).   The love for other coaches ran deep in the voting- no two ballots had the same #1 coach, and seven different coaches received votes.  But salty1 has recieved the lofty title of So. Cal coach of the year, as voted by his/her peers.  Taking over a powerhouse is no laughing matter- four championships in the last five years would set the bar high for any coach to follow.  In his first season, Salty has La Verne in a familiar location as the top team in the North.

Runner up- 3 way tie.

Player of the Year

Being a realist, the DIII So. Cal Conference Player of the year may very well be selling you insurance, teaching your kids, or working in a cubicle next fall.  But at the top of a difficult conference is the most any young man in the So. Cal can wish for.   The tightest race of this year's ballot came down to two players you simply can't compare.  One was the lethal all-around threat, leading his team in scoring by a huge margin, while the other made the glass and inside his world.  Only one can win, and from Freshman of the Year to Player of the Year, Todd Donohue (Colorado) wins the honors.  The senior from Kiowa, CO led the conference in Rebounding and blocks, and was 12th in scoring as well.  You could also find Todd on the leaderboard for minutes played and FG%, and will leave Colorado College as their all-time leader in Rebounds.

Runner Up- Sr. Robert Dunkleberger, CMHMS, SF.

Last but of course not least is your All-Conference selections.  These men had monster years in the So.Cal, and we wish most of them the best of luck in the next phase of their lives!

All-Conference first team

Sr. Joseph Bowen, 16.5 PPG, 2.9 APG, 1.5 RPG, 1.9 SPG- Texas, Tyler
Sr. Marvin James, 20.9 PPG, 1.6 APG, 42.5% 3pt%- Redlands
Sr. Robert Dunkleberger, 18.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1 SPG, .6 BPG- CMHMS
Sr. Todd Donohue, 13.4 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.6 BPG- Colorado
Sr. John Curry, 12.2 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.5 BPG- Whittier

All-Conference second team
Sr. Roy Poythress, 23.3 PPG, 2.2 APG, 38.7% 3Pt- CSU, Eastbay
Sr. Gregory Sellman, 13.1 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1 SPG- California Tech.
So. Ted Hill, 15.8 PPG, 1.2 SPG, 2.0 APG, 1.8 RPG- California Santa Cruz
Sr. Lloyd Lundin, 17.3 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.1 BPG- CSU, Eastbay
Sr. Dennis Stagg, 13.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.5 BPG- California Lutheran

Until next year, go get 'em So. Cal, and let's tear up the postseason!

Nice work, asher. Thanks.

Posted by theeyetest on 7/16/2011 7:28:00 AM (view original):
Nice work, asher. Thanks.

yezzir, shame nobody voted

Thanks asher.  Had fun voting and for a new coach to the conference it helped me get to know the teams a bit better.

I would've voted had I not been enjoying my time at 7500 feet with no internet access and no cell phone reception.

Posted by billscnb on 7/17/2011 2:19:00 AM (view original):
I would've voted had I not been enjoying my time at 7500 feet with no internet access and no cell phone reception.

What?  7500 is an excuse?  (According to Google Earth, my house is at 7544)

#1 conference RPI, check.
7-10 postseason teams, check.

Another banner regular season in the So. Cal has drawn to a close.  In 14 hours, we'll know who's dancing, and who's enjoying homemade hot tubs.  But, to close up season 40's regular season, we of course, must dole out awards to the players who make us great coaches:

6th man of the year

Being a 6th man in the So. Cal is not a shameful title.  This year's sixth man was a runaway selection, he received a 1st or 2nd place vote on every ballot.  Willard Marci, a 6'2" junior from Sioux Falls, SD helped the California, Santa Cruz Banana Slugs storm to a 24 win season and #7 ranking through his spark, defense, and sheer ability off the bench.  With 12.2 points, and 1.1 steals a game, Macri ensured their was no drop off to the second unit.  Though some stars on the Slugs may get the credit, Macri helped ensure they were an elite team.

Runner up- C. Bogner, Redlands

Freshman of the Year

Freshman grab the towels after practice, still live in the dorms, and I just trying to understand DIII life.  According to some coaches, they can't really impact a team.   Since Whitney Houston said our children are the future, and the future of the So. Cal may be in the hands of Cornelius Gaskin, a 6'7" redshirt freshman from North Hollywood, CA, playing for Cal. Lutheran.  Gaskin started 16 games, and pulled in 5 rebounds a game for the Kingsmen this season.

Runner up- PF R. Gebo, CMHMS

Defensive Player of the Year

In a league where 24 players averaged either a block per game, or a steal per game, the So. Cal has it's share of defensive stalwarts.  Four of those 24 averaged BOTH a block a game and a steal per game, becoming defensive nightmares.  With three first place votes, three year starter Cary White of Whitter, has been voted the defensive player of the year.  White, a 6'10" junior from Etna, CA, averaged 1 steal, and 1.5 blocks per game, along with 5.7 defensive rebounds a game.

Runner up- PF R. Johnson, Occidental

Coach of the Year

Three different coaches received first places votes in this race, and five coaches overall received votes as well.  But the king of kings for season 40 was lute_olsen of Occidental.  Lute is in his 17th season at Occidental, and is on pace to have the highest RPI in 35 seasons for the school.  This season's 21-7 record was also a HUGE turnaround from last season 6-21.

Runner up- kmasonbx

Player of the Year

The man, the myth, and the legend is what the So. Cal player of the year can claim in rec league games for the rest of his life.  What does it take to hold this award?  18 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.1 blocks per game, a 36.4% 3 pointer clip and being a pert of the Occidental turnaround.  This season's Player of the Year hails from Rio Rancho, NM, at 6'8", Ralph Johnson stands atop the So. Cal mountain.  

Runner up- SF R. King, Whittier

All-Conference Teams

First team-
PG J. Burroughs, Sr, Pomona
PG T. Hill, Jr, California, Santa Cruz
SF R. King, Sr, Whittier
PF R. Johnson, Sr, Occidental
C C. White, Jr, Whittier

Second team-
PG J. Orr, Jr, Redlands
SG J. Pearson, Jr, Whittier
SG A. Grant, Sr, California Lutheran
PF R. Childress, Sr, California Tech.
C H. Pylant, Sr, CMHMS

Nice job Asher. Back to back seasons I've managed to have the 6th man of the year.